Girl tracksters win indoors on Saturday

By Michael Jacobson

The PAHS girls' track team - rated #7 in the state in true team - won their opening meet of the season, an indoor meet at St. John's University on Saturday. The Dogs defeated large-school teams Totino Grace and Sauk Rapids-Rice as well as true-team section rivals Sauk Centre and Holdingford in claiming the indoor title.

The Dogs edged Totino Grace 104.25 to 98 for the team title, with Sauk Centre third at 93.5.

"We were really excited about our team's performance at this meet," said coach Dave Randgaard. "We were missing nine girls for this meet due to various conflicts. We didn't know for sure what to expect because of this. The girls competed really well, and we had some excellent performances."

The Dogs were able to place in all 13 of the indoor events, with eight athletes accounting for all these placings. Senior Tara Schmidt, sophomore Kaitlyn Frenchick, ninth grader Bri Jaeger, and ninth grader Anna Kotten each placed in four events for the Dogs, while ninth grader Kally Felling placed in three events.

Jaeger won the 400-meter dash, and junior Kacy Nehowig won the 3,200-meter run for the Dogs.

Frenchick was the runner-up in three events: running second in the 800-meter run, running second again in the 1,600-meter run, and taking second in the triple jump. She also ran a leg on the Dogs' 1,600-meter relay - along with Felling, Kotten, and Schmidt - which placed third.

Schmidt also was second in the long jump and was third in the 55-meter dash (coming within a tenth of a second of the school record she shares with Sara Realdsen). And she was fifth in the 200-meter dash.

Jaeger trailed Schmidt in the long jump (taking third) and in the 55-meter dash (taking eighth) but edged her in the 200-meter dash (taking fourth), where she ran a personal best.

Kotten placed second in the pole vault with a personal best by clearing eight feet, took second in the 55-meter hurdles (with another personal best), and captured sixth in the high jump (in her first competitive meet as a high jumper).

Ninth grader Stacy Orbeck placed seventh in the 55-meter hurdles (also with a personal best), and eighth grader Krista Topp also had a personal best in the event, placing 11th.

Felling ran eighth in both the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash as well as running a leg on the third-place 1,600-meter relay.

Sophomore Natalie Leadem placed for the Dogs in the shot put with a throw of 28' 11" - an indoor personal best for her.

This week, the Dogs do not have a competitive meet. Their first outdoor meet is scheduled for Tuesday, April 4, at 4 p.m. at ACGC High School in Grove City.

"Next week, we should have our entire team back intact for our first outdoor meet at ACGC," said Randgaard. "This team has a lot of potential for this season and will be an exciting team to watch."